Sabin History Series – The Neighborhood Tavern

A hundred years ago, drinking establishments were sprinkled throughout inner northeast Portland, which was then a separate city called Albina. Kegs were stored under the bar, and beer was drawn by a brass pressure tap or by a gravity faucet inserted directly in the keg. Men stood at the bar, as stools did not come into use until after Prohibition.

Prohibition was not well-received by many of the Volga German immigrants who lived in the neighborhood. Elder Peter Yost of the Free Evangelical Brethren Church reportedly gave his greatest sermon during this time, complaining that "food" was being taken away from his people.

In many families, it was common to send a young child to the tavern with a tin pail to fetch beer to drink with dinner. The bar-tender would fill the pail and the child would carry it home, careful not to spill a drop.

The photo below, courtesy of Shanna Minarik, shows the Ludwig Miller Saloon (circa 1913) which was located at 740 Union Avenue, now known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

This story is condensed from a longer version published on the volgagermans.net website, courtesy of Steve Schreiber.